Patent downloading system and method

Abstract

A patent downloading system ( 1 ) for downloading patents (including published patent applications) from one or more patent web sites ( 2 ) includes a mirror web site ( 4 ) and an application server ( 3 ). The mirror web site includes a web server ( 40 ), which includes: a download period setting module ( 400 ) for setting download periods; a patent downloading module ( 402 ) for periodically downloading newly issued patents; and a patent index creating module ( 404 ) for creating a patent index for each newly downloaded patent. The application server includes a patent inquiry term receiving module ( 30 ) for receiving one or more patent inquiry terms; a patent information obtaining module ( 32 ) for obtaining information on patents to be downloaded; a patent existence determination module ( 34 ) for determining whether the patents exist in the mirror web site; and a downloading module ( 36 ) for downloading patents from the mirror web site.

1 . A system for downloading patents from one or more patent web sites through a network, the system comprising a mirror web site, an application server, one or more client computers, and a database linking to the application server through a connection, wherein: 
 the mirror web site comprises: 
 a patent database for storing newly issued patents downloaded from said patent web sites and for storing corresponding patent index lists; and  
 a web server comprising: 
 a download period setting module for setting download periods;  
 a patent downloading module for periodically downloading newly issued patents at a predetermined download time of each download period; and  
 a patent index creating module for creating a patent index for each newly downloaded patent; and  
 
   the application server comprises: 
 a patent inquiry term receiving module for receiving one or more patent inquiry terms from any of said client computers;  
 a patent information obtaining module for obtaining information on patents to be downloaded according to said received patent inquiry terms;  
 a patent existence determination module for determining whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the mirror web site;  
 a downloading module for downloading patents from the mirror web site if the patents exist in the mirror web site; and  
 a patent is to be construed as including a published patent application, and an issued patent is to be construed as including a published patent application.  
   
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the web server further comprises a patent compressing module for compressing the newly downloaded patents and storing the compressed patents in the patent database.  
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the web server further comprises a patent index list updating module for updating said patent index lists according to newly created patent indexes.  
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the patent existence determination module is also for determining whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the database.  
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the downloading module is also for directly downloading the patents from a corresponding patent web site if the patents do not exist in the database nor in the mirror web site.  
   
   
       6 . A method for downloading patents from one or more patent web sites through a network, the method comprising: 
 providing a mirror web site for periodically downloading newly issued patents from said patent web sites and storing the downloaded patents;    receiving a patent inquiry term;    obtaining information on patents to be downloaded according to the received patent inquiry term;    determining whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the mirror web site; and    downloading the patents from the mirror web site if the patents exist in the mirror web site; wherein    a patent is to be construed as including a published patent application, and an issued patent is to be construed as including a published patent application.    
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of setting a download period.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of creating a patent index for each newly downloaded patent.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of compressing the newly downloaded patents.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of updating a patent index list according to newly created patent indexes.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of determining whether the patents to be downloaded exist in a database.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the step of directly downloading patents from a corresponding patent web site if the patents do not exist in the database nor in the mirror web site.  
   
   
       13 . A method for downloading patents from one or more patent web sites through a network, the method comprising: 
 providing a mirror web site for automatically and periodically downloading newly issued patents from said patent web sites and storing the downloaded patents;    receiving a patent inquiry term;    obtaining information on patents to be downloaded according to the received patent inquiry term;    downloading the patents from the mirror web site if the patents exist in the mirror web site or from at least one of said web sites if the patents do not exist in the mirror web.    
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said patent includes the images showing texts and drawings.